


And In My Memories

by ladyofdecember



Category: The Simpsons
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Idiots in Love, M/M, Moving In Together, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-05
Updated: 2018-06-15
Packaged: 2019-03-13 20:09:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 3,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13578060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyofdecember/pseuds/ladyofdecember
Summary: A multi-chaptered fic focusing on all the little moments of Lenny and Carl after they get together and begin moving forward with their relationship. Chapters will likely be short snippets but there will be a ton of them.





	1. Chapter 1

“Will you move in with me?”

He'd said it with such an unsure, unsteady smile on his face that when Lenny finally looked up from his pizza and into his eyes, he nearly fell in love all over again with the man.

Lenny laughed incredulously. “What? You mean it, Carl?”

“Yeah, man. I... I want you to move in with me. I love you.” Carl said, moving to sit next to him on the couch, his own plate of pizza growing cold with every second though he could care less.

The man of his dreams, his best friend was sitting on his couch gaping at him and nearly crying in happiness. He let his eyes roam over his face and his slicked back hair and felt his smile increase ten-fold.

Lenny threw his arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, a little too tightly though that was to be expected whenever the man got a little too giddy.

“Carl! I love you too... “ He pulled back and whispered as he leaned in to give him a gentle kiss full of love and restrained passion.

Carl moved back a bit to lean against the man, their foreheads pressed together as he looked into his deep brown eyes. “So... will you?”

“Of course! I... I'd love to!”

“Great! Then... I guess you'll need these.” He scooted back against the arm of the couch and reached behind it to reveal a small maroon box tied with a gold ribbon.

“Carl Carlson!” Lenny exclaimed in shock as he took the box in his shaking hands and slowly began to untie the ribbon.

Lifting up the lid revealed two silver keys on a single key ring. He glanced up at Carl, a smile playing across his lips. 

His boyfriend moved back closer to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “Now that's to the house and the other is to the mailbox.”

“Carl... I... I don't know what to say.”

“You don't have to say anything.” He murmured, leaning in once again for a simple kiss.

They spent the rest of the evening finishing their pizza and then making grand plans for the hows and whens of Lenny's moving in. It was an amazing evening, a promise of so much more to come.


	2. Chapter 2

Lenny and Carl fell back against the mattress, feeling exhausted from their amorous activities. Lenny panted, hand flying up to lay across his chest, feeling his thudding heartbeat as it began to slow. His breathing took a bit longer to do so.

Carl glanced over at the man, his own heart rate having skyrocketed as it slowly began to lower now. Sweat was dripping slightly at his hairline and creeping down his forehead and cheeks. “Ah... nice.”

His eyes still screwed shut from exertion, Lenny smirked and nodded slightly. “Yeah.”

It was quiet in the darkened bedroom, the lone, sad, red candle on the nightstand barely staying aflame as it was nearly burnt all the way down. Finally, creaking an eye open, Lenny slowly slid up to prop himself up on his elbow.

“Hey, you ever wonder why peacocks are the only birds that can't fly?”

Carl stared at him for a moment smirking before it slowly sank from his face in realization. He too propped himself up on one arm. “But peacocks can fly! You're thinkin' of Ostriches.” 

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

Lenny took a deep breath, finally getting his breathing under control and sank back down beneath the covers. He looked up at Carl lovingly. “Hey... you thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?”

“You wanna order chinese?”

“You know it!”

“I love you.” Carl said, ducking his head down to kiss the man soundly.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I headcanon that Lenny and Carl, as they study and get more and more into Buddhism, decide to dabble in vegetarianism.

The well lit house sat in the middle of an ordinary looking street, inside two men, childhood best friends, were busy in the kitchen making dinner.

"I've got the garlic in the oven, should just take about 20 minutes and then boom! Plop it into the potatoes and mash them up, garlic mashed potatoes a la Lenny!"

Carl gave Lenny a smug looking smile as he continued chopping vegetables for their salad. "A la Lenny, huh? Not "a la Google search"?"

"Well... I have my secrets. You don't have to know everything about me, ya know!" Lenny leaned against the sink with a mischievous smile across his face.

"Oh, but I make it a point to!" The man left the veggies behind and retrieved a bottle of red wine from above their fridge. He uncorked it and poured a bit into two wine glasses, offering one to his boyfriend.

"Thank you!" Lenny said, taking a sip. He turned towards the boiling pot on the stove, watching the way the quartered, red potatoes danced in the water. 

"You lost in thought over there?"

Shrugging, Lenny took another sip of the wine. "Mmm. It's good!"

"Yeah, I thought you might like it. Got a bit of dark chocolate undertones."

"Look at you, Mr. Wine connoisseur!"

Carl pushed the rest of the vegetables he finished chopping into their wooden bowl and turned to embrace the man. "Well, I know what you like."

"You do." Lenny mused.

"I like you."

"I think I like you too." 

The two smiled at each other and shared a kiss.


	4. Chapter 4

After a long day at the plant, the last thing Lenny and Carl seemed to want to do was to actually make something to eat. Work had been stressful as of late, Mr. Burns was on a rampage (when was he not?) and had been insisting on everyone working something called “mandatory overtime”. The very idea had made the two of them sick to their stomachs. 

After a week of extended hours, the two were beat, so much so that they'd forgone stopping by Moe's after work three of the last four days. Tomorrow was Friday, sweet, sweet Friday and even though that meant only a short break from the plant, they were looking forward to it.

Shoes off, belts unbuckled, Lenny and Carl slumped down on their lumpy, uneven couch and released a sigh of exhaustion. The former seemed to disengage almost immediately with the world, leaning his head back and shutting his eyes. 

Carl looked at him and saw how deeply the edges of the man's lips were pulling down. He nudged against him to get his attention. “Hey... what do ya wanna do about food?”

“Ugh.” Was the only reply he got and really the only reply he'd expected.

They sat quietly for a moment in the darkened living room, the last few rays of the springtime sun traipsing across their yard as it set. Finally, Lenny sat up a bit straighter and gave his best puppy dog eyed expression. “Carl... can we order pizzas?”

Smirking at his boyfriend he replied, “I was just thinkin' the same thing!”

“I'm too tired to actually pretend to care about health. I just want an IV of hot grease directly in my veins.”

“Yeah. It's unfair of Burnsy to keep making us do double the man-hours. I mean, why can't he just hire some more people?”

Lenny rolled his eyes. “Who'd be dumb enough to apply?”

“Outta-towners.”

“Ah. That's a good point.”

They continued sitting for a few moments more, neither moving to grab their phones or tablets to put in the pizza order, both afflicted with a sort of dizzying fatigue.

“So, uh... you gonna order us some pizzas?” Lenny finally asked, batting his eyes sweetly at the other man.

Carl grinned and kissed him squarely on the mouth. “Sure.”


	5. Chapter 5

“Ooh! Ooh! Grab some o' that tofu there!”

Snatching the last container of firm tofu from the shelf, Carl lightly placed it in their shopping cart before turning to cross it off their shopping list.

They began walking out of the produce section, Carl pushing the basket as Lenny tried to recall anything else they might need. When they passed the Duff beer display, they had to pause once more.

“Should we get a few six packs? The big boxing match is this weekend you know!” Lenny pointed out.

Carl shrugged. “Yeah, but aren't we just gonna go to Moe's?”

They continued walking, pushing the cart along as they weighed the pros and cons of enjoying the match on their new big screen versus heading to the bar with everyone else. So lost in conversation, they nearly collided carts with another customer rushing out of one of the aisles.

“Oh, hey there, Marge.” Carl greeted with a sheepish smile.

Homer's blue haired spouse, Marge gave each of them a bright smile. “Why, hello there, fellas! What are you two doing here? It's barely noon!”

Lenny shrugged. “Oh, well you know the plant got shut down this morning on a count of all the radiation leaking everywhere. We thought, eh, get our shopping out of the way for the rest of the week!”

“Yup. I love spending my free day off at the grocery store.” Carl said, deadpanning.

Marge looked confused. “The plant closed for the day? I didn't know that! I suppose Homer is over at Moe's then.”

The two men began backing away slowly, sheepish smiles on their faces. 

“Oh, uh? Homer? No, I think he actually stayed behind, yeah, at the plant.” Lenny said, tugging at Carl's arm in a signal that they should leave.

Carl jumped in. “Hey, uh, yeah. I think I heard him say something about staying late. Uh... but uh, we gotta go!”

Marge put her hands on her hips in annoyance. “Uh-huh. I'll bet. Well, you boys enjoy your shopping.”

“Thanks!” They both said as they began walking away as fast as possible.

“Whew. That was close!” Carl said, chuckling.

“Yeah! Any longer and she might of suspected something.” Lenny agreed as they headed towards the checkout.


	6. Chapter 6

“You ever think of just hopping in the car and driving as far as you can until you get too tired to continue? Then just... stopping wherever you end up?”

It's a question that catches Carl off guard at first as he stands pumping gas into his red four door on the warm April spring day. He glances at Lenny who's leaning against the SUV. “What, like, a road trip?”

“Yeah.” He nods.

Shrugging, the black man considers the thought in his head. “Well... I've never been much for travel, you know. But... yeah, yeah I guess that could be kinda cool.” He finishes filling the tank and places the gas nozzle back into it's place before facing his boyfriend. “You uh... you want to?”

Lenny grins, his eyes shining in the sunlight. “I think it'd be great!”

Carl melts and gives in predictably. “Well then... I guess we're goin' on a road trip, then!” And he grins before lightly slapping the man on his bicep playfully. He still isn't sure how to avoid the awkward actions he always displays when around him but Lenny doesn't seem to mind.

The man steps closer and kisses him hard on the mouth, out here, in front of everyone! Everyone being the pimply teenager sitting at the enclosed air-conditioned register area nearby and a random dog peeing on the nearby hydrant. Carl kisses him back of course and for a moment feels like his heart may explode with happiness.

When Lenny pulls back, he smiles that huge smile of his and goes to get back in the passenger side of the car. 

Grinning to himself, Carl follows and they drive off.


	7. Chapter 7

It isn't so much what he says that day at Moe's but how he says it. Like, he has trouble explaining it to the likes of Homer whereas Moe picks up on what Lenny means right away no problem.

When Carl mentions to a woman in the tavern that he has a boyfriend and that it's in fact, Lenny, who's sitting right next to him, he sounds like he's explaining some jerk t-boned him earlier. He says it without excitement, without any elation at all. Lenny half expects the man to continue with, 'But he's cool if we go bang in the ladies' room!'.

The man maintains his composure as best as he can, excusing himself from the group and heading to the men's room to fume silently. He's only gone maybe 30 seconds when none other than Carl is actually in here joining him.

“Hey, wanna see how pissed we can make Moe by making him think we're doin' it in here?” He asks him, a grin on his face as he clearly misses Lenny's angry expression altogether.

Frustrated with the situation, with his own reaction to it and with Carl's obtuse nature alone, Lenny nearly punches the dingy wall in anger. Instead, he spins on his heel to face the man and jab a finger into his firm chest. “No! No, I don't, Carl! What the hell is wrong with you?!”

Carl is caught off guard he can see by his expression alone. A pinched look overtakes him as he gently pushes the man's hand away. “What?”

“You know what! Why are you talking to that woman out there?”

“What? Gretchin? She just... she was talkin' to me and I was bein' nice!”

He looks sheepish but that only makes Lenny more irritated. He rolls his eyes and begins heading for the door, intent of leaving the bar altogether.

“Whoa! Hey! Wait, Lenny!” Carl says, rushing to stop him from leaving. He places both hands on his shoulders in an attempt to calm him down. Frowning at his boyfriend, he tries again. “Look, I didn't mean nothin' by it. She was hitting on me so ya know, I told her I was with you. I... I don't get why you're upset!”

Lenny shook his head and sighed, glancing everywhere but at him. “It's... nothin'. Forget it.”

“No, c'mon!”

“It's fine, Carl.” Lenny shrugged and stepped back away from him, clearly trying to leave if not for the man blocking the men's room door.

Carl scoffed and glared at their reflections in the mirror before turning back to him. “What do ya want, huh?! You want me to... to just go back out there and announce to the whole bar that I'm unavailable? Is that what you want?”

Lenny glared at him. “To Homer and Barney and Moe? No, Carl. I think they get it.”

“Well?”

The two were silent for a moment, listening to the gentle hum of the light above them and the muffled conversations and laughter from outside the door. 

Lenny sighed once more. “I'm sorry. I just... the way you said it to her, I thought... “

“What?”

“I thought... maybe... maybe you wish you were single so you could talk to her or sleep with her or whatever!”

Carl smirked at Lenny and stepped a little closer. “You're jealous! That's cute.”

The stubble covered man didn't think so and he opened his mouth to lay into his boyfriend once more, only to be cut off by him instead.

“As if I could be captivated by anyone else but you! No one draws my attention quite like you do, Len. Remember when Marge got those implants? I barely even glanced at her!”

Lenny considered the memory from the previous year as Carl drew him in closer in to an embrace. He smiled as Carl leaned in to kiss him gently and he kissed him back. 

When they broke apart, Lenny seemed to have calmed down quite a bit. He moved his hands up to clasp around the taller man's neck. “I guess maybe I was bein' silly.”

“Of course. You're the only one for me, Len.”

That was really all he'd wanted to hear.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bet y'all forgot that Carl is the supervisor in Sector 7-G, huh?

When Lenny woke up on the dreary, rainy Wednesday morning known as Valentine's Day, he was in a bit of a slump.

Finding Carl gone already and the house cold and empty, he shuffled around in his PJs and slippers and got some coffee from the pot left on for him.

Driving in to the plant was depressing enough even without all the lousy drivers trying to avoid accidents in the rain. As he headed inside past security, he began to notice all the flowers and gifts others had received for the holiday. 

Feeling a bit left out, he tried to shake off the thought. 'Want not possessions, possessions will just make you unhappy.' He tried to remind himself of his Buddhist teachings.

Finally, as he rounded the corner to his station, he saw Carl standing nearby chatting with Homer. His boyfriend raised his hand as if to beckon him over but Lenny just turned and headed inside. 

He didn't want to be a big mope but he just didn't have the energy to pretend that it was fine his boyfriend didn't care about holidays. He'd always known this about Carl, that he didn't like celebrating things but that didn't mean it didn't still affect him.

...

A little after 10:30am, Carl buzzed in to Lenny's station intercom, surprising him.

"Hey uh, Lenny? Can you come step in to my office please?"

Oh great, what now?

Walking in to his boyfriend's/supervisor's small, closet-like office space, Lenny wondered if this had to do with Burns' new 'no loitering in the break room' policy. But before he could ponder on it too much, his eyes fell upon the huge bouquet of red roses on the man's desk.

There was a tiny mylar balloon that said 'Happy Valentine's Day' and a big, heart-shaped box of chocolates too.

"Uhh... ?" Lenny mumbled.

Carl grinned at him as he went to shut the office door. "Happy Valentine's Day, Lenny! You didn't think I'd forget, did ya?"

The man matched his smile with a huge one of his own. "Carl! I... I didn't think you'd want to celebrate!"

"What? Why not?"

"Well, you never do." 

Stepping closer to the man, he looked deeply into his eyes. "Well, yeah I know, but you've seemed kinda down lately and I just wanted to make sure I made this Valentine's extra special!"

Lenny threw his arms around his boyfriend. "Aw, Carl! You're all I really wanted!"

...

"So, will I see you two after work for Moe's famous "Love Sucks And I Don't Need Anybody But My Duff" Duffs?"

The three of them were walking out the main plant entrance and heading towards the immense parking lot filled with employee's cars. Homer seemed particularly in a hurry to leave.

"Nah, we're goin' to that nice italian place on Sycamore." Carl said shrugging. "Nothing too fancy but I figure better than a dank bar on Valentine's night!"

Lenny wrapped his arms around the man."Nothing too fancy?! Only the best place in town! Oh, Carl!" 

Carl just shrugged and let himself be tugged on by his boyfriend as Homer watched on. 

He chuckled. “You two are cute. Well, anyway, I'm off to Moe's for the night!”

“Hey, uh, Homer? Ain't you gonna do something for Marge?” The man asked, still being hugged by Lenny.

Homer stopped in his tracks and slowly spun around to face them again. “Uh... what'd you say today was again?”

The couple deadpanned at him. “It's valentine's day, Homer!” Carl repeated in annoyance.

“Oh crap! Crap! Crap!” The bald man shouted as he began racing off towards his car, lunchbox in hand.

Lenny laughed. “What a loser. Glad I'm not married to him!”

Carl narrowed his eyes at his boyfriend. “Ya ain't married to anyone!”

“Don't I know it!” The man retorted making him gulp a bit as they headed off towards their cars.


	9. Chapter 9

It was only about 6:45pm and already Lenny'd had a pretty busy evening! Not only had work taken a toll with Burns' insisting everyone stay late at the plant but in addition, the man had a to do list a mile long. Normally, he'd just say 'screw it' but he seemed to be doing that a lot lately. Today was Friday so he'd decided just to hunker down and get it taken care of.

So finally, after filling out his insurance claim appeal form, making some garlicky mashed potatoes for dinner and excelling at his daily mandarin lesson, Lenny was finally sitting down and pouring himself a well deserved glass of red wine. 

That's right, Lenny Leonard drinks wine now.

The sound of the garage door opening and a car pulling in signaled that his boyfriend was now home as well. Lenny having been able to sneak off much earlier, had made sure to prepare them both a big dinner since neither were heading to Moe's tonight.

“Heyo.” Carl said from the doorway to the garage. He looked tired as he strolled through their kitchen towards the living room. “What's this? You actually made dinner?”

“Hey! I can cook!”

His boyfriend smirked at him and said nothing more, checking under the various lids on the pots.

Lenny joined him in the kitchen with a smile.

“Looks good!” Carl grinned at him. “I'm so hungry! You sure you're alright staying in tonight? It's Friday!”

“Yeah.” The brunette shrugged. “I'm tired. I barely got any sleep last night.” He said, sipping at his wine.

Carl cocked an eyebrow at him. “Why not?”

“I stayed up super late watching scary internet videos.”

“Ah.”

An embrace and a few kisses later and the two were sitting down to a quiet meal.

“See, this is what I like. A nice, calm meal at home with my best friend. No muss, no fuss.” Carl held up a wine glass, leaning in towards his boyfriend. “To us!”

“Hear, hear!” Lenny clanked his own with the man's.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter brought to you by the wonderful people at OneWord.com! Their prompt today was "Orbit", can you tell? :D

There was just something about him, Lenny couldn't quite put his finger on it. Was it his ultra-calm demeanor? The way that he just didn't seem to care what other people thought? Maybe it was the way he could say literally anything and get him to crack a smile. Lenny didn't know but he knew one thing, he was definitely drawn to Carl Carlson like a moth to a flame. And he wasn't going to question why their thing worked, it just did. Why worry?


End file.
